Kuwait: Permanent solution to Syria crisis only through political means

November 29, 2017, 8:08 am

The Kuwaiti delegation at the meeting.

Kuwait reiterated its position Tuesday that a comprehensive and permanent solution to the crisis in Syria will only be achieved through a political solution in accordance with the Geneva Declaration of 2012 and the relevant Security Council Resolutions, especially SC Resolution 2254.

This position was expressed by Ambassador Ahmad Abdul Rahman Al-Baker Permanent Representative of Kuwait to the Arab League at the Sixth Joint Meeting between Permanent Representatives of Arab States to the Arab League with the Political and Security Committee of the European Union in Brussels on Tuesday.

He said that the Arab countries have implemented many measures in their efforts to ease the situation of the Syrian people including receiving great numbers of Syrian refugees. He highlighted in his speech that there are Arab countries, including Gulf Cooperation Council countries that are hosting hundreds of thousands of Syrian nationals.

"These nationals are not refugees but expatriates that receive educational, medical, and job resources so they may continue to live a decent life," he noted. He pointed out that Kuwait has hosted three international donor conferences to support the Syrian people between 2013-16, as well as participating and co- chairing the two donor conferences in London (2016) and Brussels (2017).

Through these five conferences, the State of Kuwait's financial contribution topped USD 1.6 billion, which was distributed through regional and international organizations, agencies, and authorities. Kuwait has also hosted nine consecutive sessions for the meetings of major donors for the Syrian people between 2014-2017 as well as four conferences for partnership in coordination with The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

This does not include the important role played by Kuwaiti humanitarian NGOs who raised USD 63 million in 2016 and USD 64 million in 2017. Ambassador Al Baker expressed his thanks and appreciation to the EU member states and to EU High Representative Federica Mogherini for their efforts to help the Syrian people.

"Your esteemed efforts do much to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people. The conflict has now entered its seventh year and has caused an estimated 13 million refugees. "I call upon all countries to fulfil their pledges in the hopes of achieving an end to this catastrophe," he added.

The one-day meeting discussed the current regional challenges facing both Europe and the Arab world, with a particular focus on the Middle East Peace Process, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Iraq, counter-terrorism and migration.

The participants observed one-minute silence ahead of the meeting in remembrance of the victims of the recent terrorist attack in Egypt.